


Even The Saviour Needs Saving Sometimes

by OnceUponATimeLover28



Category: Onceuponatime - Fandom
Genre: Emmaneedstobetakencareof, Emotionsrunninghigh, F/F, Fostercareangst, Nightmares, ReginaisthereforEmma, Snowiskindameaninthis, onceuponatime, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:26:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22273282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponATimeLover28/pseuds/OnceUponATimeLover28
Summary: Emma struggles with a nightmare one night and after a fight with her parents, she seeks comfort from ReginaWarning: Towards the end, Emma gets emotional when the subject of her foster care memories comes up in an argument with Snow.
Relationships: Regina Mills - The Evil Queen/Emma Swan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 135





	Even The Saviour Needs Saving Sometimes

Even The Saviour Needs Saving Sometimes 

The loud pounding at the door and the doorbell ringing repeatedly woke Regina from a deep sleep. Spying the time on her nightstand, she groaned. Who could it be at three in the fucking morning? 

She grabbed her robe and slipped it on while feeling for her slippers in the dark. Padding down the stairs, she peered into the peephole and gasped. Opening the door, she took a look at the disheveled sight of the Saviour. Hair was tangled and pulled into a messy ponytail, and her shirt was on backwards. Green eyes were framed by redness; a clear sign that she’d been crying. “Miss Swan? What on earth is going on?” 

Emma shuffled from foot to foot, carrying a black garbage bag full of stuff. “I just had a huge fight with Snow and David.” She sniffled. “Gina, can I stay here?” 

Her heart broke at the sound of that small voice, one that was likely similar to the one she used to have when she was little. Oh how she hated thinking of how her girl had suffered so much when she was in foster care. “Of course dear,” she answered, reaching for the garbage bag and pulling her inside. “Do you need a hug?” 

Emma nodded and Regina wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. She resisted the urge to begin making out with her, as she could sense that what the blonde needed most right now was to talk. If Regina kissed her, their clothes would be off in moments and one thing would lead to another. No, best wait until Emma was feeling better. 

They stood like that until Emma murmured against her shoulder. “Do you have any Advil? My head is killing me.”

“Of course,” Regina replied. 

“Oh thank god! And maybe...” Green eyes looked pleadingly into her dark ones. “Maybe a beer too?” 

“No beer, Miss Swan,” she answered firmly. “That’s not what you need right now. I’ll make a cup of tea for you.” 

Emma groaned and reluctantly agreed. Regina bit back a smile as she went to boil the water and retrieve the medicine. When Emma was upset, she loved to drink and when she drank she had a tendency to get so drunk that she would go on long rants about everything that was going wrong for her. It was funny for about twenty minutes or so, but it became tiring after about an hour. Besides, she was trying to help Emma break the drinking habit, and was slowly beginning to introduce her to some calming blends of tea.

When she walked back into the living room armed with a mug, the bottle of pills and a glass of water, she saw Emma was lying on the couch with her feet propped up. She rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. Emma looked up at her and she nodded towards the boots that were still on her feet. “Oh sorry.” Emma sat up to unzip them and then placed them on the floor. 

Regina sat down next to her and handed her the water and medication. “Thanks,” Emma said. She popped upon the cap, swallowed two pills, then downed half of the water. She set it on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. “Oh man, what a night.” 

“Want to talk about it?” Regina asked. Talking about problems, specifically problems with her parents, seemed to really help Emma. With the exception of Archie, there was really no one else whom Emma trusted to talk about the problems with her parents, and Regina was glad that she came to her. After all the work and progress they’d made, things seemed to be much better between the four of them, although the two Charmings still seemed a bit surprised that their precious daughter was seeing their formal enemy. 

Emma blew on her tea and took a small sip. “I had a really bad nightmare... from when I was in foster care. I don’t really remember it. But I was pretty much yelling nonsense and stuff.” She took a deep breathe. “And um, Snow tried to wake me up and pull me into her lap but I pushed her away and kicked her in the chin.” 

Regina bit back a smile. “Seriously?” 

“Uh huh.” Emma laughed nervously. “It wasn’t my fault though! I didn’t know who she was cause I was still in the midst of the nightmare. And I guess I was feeling trapped or something because apparently I kept screaming “Get off me.” And now she’s pissed.” 

“Why?”

“Because she wasn’t able to comfort me, and because I kicked her in the chin. She says I should’ve been comforted by her because she’s my mom, but everyone knows that you’re not supposed to wake someone up when they’re in the middle of a nightmare!” Emma sighed. “Like isn’t that the first thing they teach you in the parenting books?” 

Regina thought back to the first couple of times that Henry had experienced nightmares, and how she had had the same thing happen with him where he had gotten violent when she tried to wake him up right away. “I believe it’s something that all parents must go through before they learn the best way to handle it with their child.” She thought of her stepdaughter getting all hot under the collar over something this insignificant. “She’ll come off her high horse eventually and realize she overreacted. Although she won’t admit to it.” 

Emma drained the rest of the water. “And then she started getting after me about how I don’t call her and David Mom and Dad, saying how disrespectful it is. I mean, for the longest time she was Mary Margaret and he was John Doe. Then I found out he was David Nolan. Then BAM, the curse breaks and not only are they Snow White and Prince Charming, they‘re also my birth parents.” Emma shrugged. “It’s just a little hard getting used to, you know?” 

“Oh of course dear. It’s not everyday you find out that you’re actually a princess, and your step grandmother is the evil queen who started this whole thing, not to mention who also tried to poison you.” 

Emma reached out and took her hand. “You know I’ve forgiven you for all those things right?” 

“I do Emma, but if not for me... well, you would’ve had a completely different life.” Regina took a deep breath. “You would’ve grown up loved and adored, and been giving the very best of everything. You would have been raised as the princess you are and deserve to be-”

“-And I would’ve been forced to marry some half-witted prince in an attempt to have my own happily ever after,” Emma finished. “Sounds like a bad Disney movie I don’t want to watch. And while all that may have happened, it’s not something that I wish could’ve happened instead of what really did. As bad as my past may have been, it what makes me who I am Regina. And you weren’t entirely at fault. It was David and Snow who chose to put me in that tree in the first place.” 

“I’m not trying to take their side or anything, but if you hadn’t been sent to the modern world, we would all still be cursed together.” Regina reached out and stroked her cheek. “And I wouldn’t have gotten to meet the beautiful young woman who first taught me that there is more to life than being mayor and Henry’s mother.” 

Emma smiled and leaned into her. “Speaking of the kid, where is he? I thought he’d have for sure woken up and heard us by now.” 

“He’s away at that sleep-away camp remember? He’s been talking nonstop about it for weeks.” 

Emma smacked her forehead. “Oh man, I can’t believe I forgot about that.” 

“I can Miss Swan. You do have a tendency to forget these things,” Regina teased. Then she turned serious again. “You have had a lot on your plate lately. What with being Sheriff, the Saviour, Henry’s mom, my girlfriend, a princess-”

“Okay okay enough with the princess thing please,” Emma half groaned and half laughed as she hit the mayor with a couch cushion. “You’re beginning to sound like Snow. You know she tried to sign me up for this stupid etiquette class with her? Next thing you know she would have replaced all my jeans and tank tops with ball gowns and frilly dresses.” She shuddered.

“You have to admit that it would make it a hell of a lot easier to undress you though,” Regina said slyly. “Do you know how hard it is to tug those stupid skinny jeans off your body?” 

“Says the woman who insists on wearing pantyhose everyday. That’s even harder to remove.” 

“I have to wear pantyhose Miss Swan, I’m the mayor.” Then she turned serious. “How often do these nightmares occur for you, dear?” 

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a couple of times a week?” She sighed. “I guess I should probably go see Archie. But I don’t really want to. I hate talking about everything that happened to me.” 

“I know, but you may find it helpful to let go of some of those demons that you are still battling. And if anyone can help, it’s him.” Regina reached out and took her hand. “I’ll come with you if you’d like.” 

“Really?” Emma smiled. “I’d like that. Thanks Regina.” She leaned forward and was about to kiss her when her phone started buzzing. Pulling it out from her pocket, she sighed. “Shit. It’s Snow.” 

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to dear,” Regina said gently. 

“It’s probably better to get this over with now.” Emma braced herself and answered it. “Hello?” 

Regina grabbed Emma’s mug and leaned back in her seat, taking a drink. She would’ve left the room to give Emma some privacy, but she had the feeling that the blonde wanted her to stay close. 

“I think it’s probably best for all of us right now if I don’t come back for a few days,” Emma was saying. There was a pause. “Um, I’m actually staying with Regina.” 

She glanced up, her eyes on Emma’s. 

“Don’t start with that again please,” Emma sighed. “I love Regina. She’s my family now too.” 

Regina felt awkward listening to this conversation, although she loved hearing Emma say that she loved her. Snow and David knew that their daughter was seeing her, but they didn’t know how serious and intimate their relationship was. She bit her lip to keep from laughing. Snow would die if she knew how many times they had had sex. 

Suddenly, Emma stood up and began pacing the room. “Don’t you say those things about her Snow!” she yelled. “Yes she may have cursed you guys and killed thousands of your subjects, but at least she is owning up to all that! And she’s changed. But you and David act like you did nothing wrong when it was you guys who put me in that stupid tree in the first place! You make it seem like it was some heroic act, and that there was nothing else you could do!” 

Regina winced. This conversation wasn’t going very well at all. She could practically see the steam that was coming out of Emma’s ears. 

“DON’T YOU FUCKING TELL ME THAT MY FOSTER EXPERIENCE WASN’T THAT BAD, BECAUSE YOU WEREN’T THERE!” Emma screamed into the phone. “YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING WHILE YOU WERE TALKING TO BIRDS AND ACCEPTING FRUIT FROM KIDS? I WAS CRYING MY EYES OUT AT NIGHT, WONDERING WHAT I HAD DONE THAT WAS SO BAD TO MAKE MY PARENTS GIVE ME UP! I WENT TO BED HUNGRY MOST NIGHTS BECAUSE MY FOSTER PARENTS CHOSE TO USE THE MONEY THEY GOT FROM ME ON THEIR OWN KIDS, THEIR REAL KIDS. TO THEM, I WAS JUST A FUCKING PAYCHEQUE!” 

Regina stood up to guide Emma back over to the couch. She began to stroke blonde curls as tears streamed down Emma’s face. 

“YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT DISRESPECT SNOW, SO GET BACK TO ME WHEN YOU LEARN THAT CONCEPT,” Emma yelled. “AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I LIKED YOU BETTER WHEN YOU WERE MARY MARGARET.” 

By now, Regina had gently taken the phone from Emma and ended the call, as the blonde curled up into a ball on her lap and sobbed. Placing the phone on the table, she wrapped her arms around her and began to rock her. “Shhh,” she murmured in the blonde’s ear. “It’s alright.” 

Emma’s cries slowly softened, turning into whimpers. “Regina,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. “I-”

“Shhh,” Regina whispered again. Looking into Emma’s eyes she flicked her wrist, instantly putting her to sleep. She conjured a tissue and quickly dried the tears that still glistening on her cheeks. Cradling her in her arms, she placed a kiss on her forehead and carried her up to her bedroom. Pulling back the covers, she gently tucked her in. This was for the best, as she knew Emma would have trouble falling asleep and she happened to not have any sleeping pills. And besides, she deserved to have a decent sleep. She sighed, wanting to strangle Snow for hurting Emma and making her cry, but that would have to wait. Instead, she took deep breathes and reflected on what had just happened. 

Hearing Emma say those things and cry her eyes out like that made Regina see her as the little girl she had once been so long ago. The one that had to grow up practically overnight and take all sorts of shit from people that she didn’t deserve, that no one deserved. Her heart felt like it had been yanked out of her chest and slammed into a wall. She felt sick. While Emma had suffered and been so alone growing up, what had she been doing? Prancing around a town she had created called Storybrooke as the Mayor, controlling everyone around her, taking pleasure in knowing that Mary Margaret, her own stepdaughter, would never be able to awaken the man she loved... much less recognize him. All this, while Emma cried herself to sleep and never got enough food to eat. Had never known what love was. 

Until now. Now Emma had parents who loved her unconditionally, even though they were going through some difficult times right now. She also had a son who looked up to her, and a community of individuals who stood behind her in all that she did. But most of all, now Emma had her. 

Tears pooled in Regina’s eyes as she glanced down at her girlfriend, this beautiful young woman who was the Saviour, someone who protected others and put them first before herself... someone who was brave and selfless and generous; a true fighter. As she crawled into bed beside her and wrapped her arms around her, she vowed that she would cherish Emma and love her with all her heart until the day she died. She would protect her, even though Emma would stubbornly insist that she didn’t need protecting... she was the one that protected others. But Regina knew while that may be the case, she also knew that sometimes even the Saviour needed someone to look out for her. 

And she, Regina Mills, was that someone.


End file.
